Girl Eats World

This passage made me miss my parents. Everything Anthony Bourdain said about dedication, pride, family, struggle are the qualities my parents embody and have modeled to me. Maybe one day I will share a bit of my parents’ story about their journey over here. About their life pre and post Vietnam. It has a lot of food, memories, pride, multiple wars, heartbreak, struggle, and romance. Makings of a good story.

It’s something I’m seeing everywhere in Vietnam; what makes its food so good, its people so endearing and impressive: pride. It’s everywhere. From top to bottom, everyone seems to be doing the absolute best they can with what they have, improvising, repairing, innovating. It’s a spirit revealed in every noodle stall, every leaky sampan, every swept and combed dirt porch and green rice paddy. You see it in the mud-packed dikes and levees of their centuries-old irrigation system, every monkey bridge, restored shoe, tire turned sandal, litterless urban street, patched roof, and swaddled baby in brightly colored hand-knit cap. Think what you want about Vietnam and about communism and about whatever it was that really happened there all those years ago. Ignore, if you care to, the obvious – that the country is, and was always, primarily about family, village, province, and then country – that ideology is a luxury few can afford. You cannot help but be impressed and blown away by the hard work, the attention to detail, the care taken in every facet of daily life, no matter how mundane, no matter how difficult the circumstances. Spend some time in the Mekong Delta and you’ll understand how a nation of farmers could beat the largest and most powerful military presence on the planet. Just watch the women in the rice paddies, bent at the waist for eight, ten hours a day, yanking bundles of rice from knee-deep water, then moving them, replanting them. Take awhile to examine the intricate interlocked system of Stone Age irrigation, unchanged for hundreds and hundreds of years, the level of cooperation necessary among neighbors simply to scratch out a living, and you’ll get the idea.

These people survived bombing, strafing, patrols. They outwitted the CIA, the NSA, satellites, AWACS, blacked-out C-130 cargo planes that had been tricked out with sensors and Gatling guns, staffed by whole teams of airborne intelligence analysts searching the ground below on winking monitors, B-52 strikes, hired killers, special units of ‘counterterror’ teams, regime after regime of clannish leaders who cared nothing for them. They survived The Beverly Hillbillies and Bob Hope and the worst that America’s lusts and America’s culture had to offer. They beat the French. They beat the Chinese. They beat the Khmer Rouge. And they’ll survive communism, too. A hundred years from now, the Commies will be gone – like us, another footnote in Vietnam’s long and tragic history of struggle – and the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, this market, and this river will look much as they look now, as they looked a hundred years ago.

I like it here. I like it a lot.

Quoted from Cook’s Tour page 134. Amazon affiliate link below.

Photos courtesy my globetrotting friend, Thomas. He just came back from tour of Asia (not his first either!) and has sent me lovely photos to share. First installment is the street food and food court of Indonesia. Who wants to go with me to Indonesia?

1219 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 695-6922
www.farmtotrailer.com

Saturday night, my friend Cindy was craving a Gourdoughnut. She is one of many friends I’ve turned onto Gourdough’s. As I’ve tried 13 of their doughnuts, I thought I’d skip out and try out Odd Duck. Odd Duck sits along side Gourdough’s in the same lot. As many times as I’ve been to Gourdough’s, I have not gone during dinner hours which is Odd Duck hours. I’ve been stalking Odd Duck for months now and was happy to finally be in its neck of the pond (get it? duck? pond?).

Odd Duck is a well respected gem of a trailer in Austin. Bryce Gilmore, owner and chef of Odd Duck uses farm and local products, bringing patrons super fresh ingredients and cooking til they sell out. A few items were already sold out at 8:30pm and by the time we finished an hour later, the entire menu was sold out. Gilmore rotates the menu and cooks solely based on his current whims. There is one entree that has acquired an extremely wide and passionate following on the streets and it’s the pork belly slider. The portions are small. They recommend 2-3 orders per person to be satisfied. I was happy with 2.

The night crowd
Both Gourdough’s and Odd Duck keep the lot alive and bustling with their fare. This was our view as we waited for a picnic table to clear. The wait was reasonable. 20-30 minutes went by quickly with people watching and great company. The service was super friendly, I’m utterly charmed by the lovely girl who takes the orders and serves the food.

Pork Belly Slider $6 – Pork belly, arugula, and pickled onions
My eating buddies gleefully took it upon themselves to tell me whenever I had the mayo sauce on my face which was about four times. “You still have juice on your face, Linda.” “Again, juice. Face.” “Teeheeheehee, juice on yo face!” Seriously though, it’s too good of a slider to be embarrassed by the juices it leaves on your face. Seared, smoky, fatty pork belly in between toasted buns with pickled onions and arugula? Yes, please.

Half a quail with Texas rice and apples and cheddar $6

The seasoning used on the quail was finger licking addicting, the quail meat juicy and succulent. I enjoyed the subtle and soft mingling of the apples and fluffy rice with a sprinkle of cheddar. Together, they all went very well. Crunch drawing out fluff. Sweet drawing out salt. Cool drawing out warm. It was a pleasure to eat. Chew slowly.

Odd Duck totally lives up to its hype. Tasty, cheap, locally sourced gourmet food. We have a good thing going on here. I have out of town friends who visit Austin fairly regularly. Cannot wait to make each and everyone give Odd Duck a try.

Odd Duck & Austin on Anthony Bourdain

Photo credit

3221 Feathergrass Ct
Austin, TX 78758
(This is their new location in Austin, there’s one more downtown and locations in San Antonio and Dallas)

(512) 834-8100
www.sushizushi.com

I’m craving Sushi Zushi’s fried soft shell crab appetizer. Mm. Crunchy, delicate, salty goodness. I’ve been craving salt lately.

Soft Shell Crab

I’ve only been to Sushi Zushi twice but after ordering this appetizer both times, I have a feeling I’ll be ordering it every time I come.

Coming back would also allow me to get to more of their expansive menu, one of the most extensive sushi menus I’ve seen. See?

First side of menu

Second side of menu

The sushi I managed to try the couple of times was alright. It’s good, affordable, casual sushi. I’m hearing they have a strawberry roll that is rocking people’s worlds so I’ll come back at least once more. Once more to get my salty crunchy soft shell crab and try these controversial strawberry rolls.

I found these photos on my camera also taken at Sushi Zushi. Most of these didn’t really leave a lasting impression on me but who’s against gawking at food?

Salad with miso dressing

The srichacha dotted roll in the middle I think is called the Christina roll and it was my favorite.

Sample plate of sashimi

Alan requested the sashimi to be thinly cut and it gave the fish an even more delicate feel which was a nice touch. Again, not a lasting impression but I do remember the sashimi being fresh and really enjoying the thin slices.

I must be a glutton for punishment. Blogging about what I’m specifically craving. Oh, to have a fix right this instant.

516 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 524-2170
www.indikausa.com

The Setup

This blog post is heavily loaded with photos so I’ll try my best to be concise and let the photos do a lot of the talking. Brunch here is $25 per person which does not include beverages, tax, or gratuity. The set up is an accommodating and efficient set up for brunch. There is a chaat bar where the starter plates and items on the starter plates are made. You don’t necessarily hover (though you can), the servers would bring you a starter plate with an entire sampling of the chaat (snacks) and you can request more specific items as often as you like. There is a dessert buffet where you serve yourself. Finally, for the entrees, there is a brunch menu and you can order whatever you like as much as you like. They recommend ordering 2 items at a time so you can pace yourself and so the food will stay warm. It’s a good sized menu. I have to half shamefully and half proudly admit, that Cindy and I sampled the entire menu. A very hard and painful feat, but a feat nonetheless!

The chaat bar

The dessert bar

Drinks

Mango Lassi ($3) and the Cha Cha Chai (not on menu, alcoholic chai drink)

I ordered the mango lassi which was very creamy and refreshing. The Cha Cha Chai is not on the menu but you can request it. It’s chai with an alcoholic and orangey twist. If you’re a fan of chai, this is a fantastic brunch drink order.

The Brunch Menu

Chaat plate
The server recommends eating the pooris by hand and just popping them in your mouth fully so it doesn’t crumble on your plate. I love the crunch giving way to cool light flavors of sauces and the heaviness of beans or lentils (dahl.) The sweet potato samosa was fried goodness. I’ve never had sweet potato as filling of a samosa. I could easily have a meal made up of just these bite-sized snacks.

Baby goat kidneys & onion masala on brioche

I think this is my 2nd to least favorite item on the menu. We were curious what goat kidneys tasted like. The seasoning was very Indian in taste and the kidneys were like most animal organs I’ve had, slightly rubbery.

Chicken cooked with ginger and black pepper

I’m a little uncertain what the sauce is made of. Tasted like a blend of Marsala and mushroom cream. This would be my least favorite and I think mostly because I couldn’t get around that the chicken was a little pink. Though the meat was close to the bone and meat can be a little pink around the bone.

Fish Head Patties with Cucumber raita

Loved the cool flavors and crunch of the cucumber raita. The fish head patties were decent. The fish a tad dry and tad fishy.

Chick pea crepe with spinach, squash, and chevre (goat cheese)

Man, my mouth is watering as I relive this chick pea crepe. There was also a few crunchy spears of asparagus. This was heavenly, the combination of the smooth goat cheese, the spinach and asparagus, and fluffy battered chick pea crepe.

Akuri (Parsi soft scrambled eggs)

Traditionally Akuri is spiced with ginger, coriander, chopped chilis, and black pepper. I could have sworn there’s a little bit of curry powder in this. Cindy was inspired by these scrambled eggs and I think she’s going to try to tackle recreating these at home. Soft, moist but not runny, and heavily spiced. It was the most unique scrambled eggs I’ve ever had.

Lamb paratha, marinated endive, fried egg

Inside view of the lamb paratha

Paratha is Indian flat bread. This one was ingeniously stuffed with spiced ground lamb and topped with endive and a runny fried egg. I love runny egg incorporated in my food. If i had to pick a favorite entree, this will be it.

Coconut pancakes with bananas and blueberries

The coconut pancakes were the last thing we ordered on the menu and I was already in serious pain. I also usually don’t like pancakes (too filling, too big!). I’m sharing the pain and my apathy for pancakes because it’s testament on how good these were. I loved these pancakes. The coconut flavoring and syrup, with whipped cream, and fried bananas. Just listing out the ingredients has my stomach growling. I had to consciously stop myself from finishing these off! We still had dessert left and I was in pain!

Finally, the desserts! I forgot to take pictures of the glorious oatmeal chocolate chip cookes (chunky, soft, gooey chocolate) and the really addicting chardamon shortbread cookies. I tapped out during our 2nd plate of desserts (pictured above). I only took a nibbling of the brittle, the chocolate dipped something, and the Guiness cake. All good but I was full. I didn’t touch the lemon tart because I’m not a lemony dessert girl. Finally! A conclusion to ONE meal.

After writing and reliving this visit to Indika, it has me both hungry and full. As you can see, Indika is not a traditional Indian restaurant, and is more Indian with a Western influence. I had an excellent brunch experience and would love to come back to try their dinners. Thank you, Cindy for finally taking me here! I know you’ve been rooting for Indika and my meeting for a quite a while now.

P.S. I forgot to mention I had breakfast two hours prior and ate my mom’s bun rieu. Ouch!

• I didn’t know you make empanadas with molds till I read it on Foodie is the New Forty’s blog. However, have no fear if you don’t have any, she demonstrates how you can get by without the molds in her recipe post.
• My friend’s Bitching Bison Blue Cheese Burgers.
• Basil Ice Cream from Stetted. I really want an ice cream maker!
• Easy Appetizers: Green Chile Palmiers
• This looks so good! Ricotta Lemon Honey Crostini
• Odd salty and sweet cookies that include chow mein noodles as an ingredient. I’m really curious about this one! A line from her post: “The butterscotch chips and peanut butter are combined and melted to create a coating in which the noodles are dipped.”

700 S Lamar
Austin, TX 78704
http://bananarchy.net/

I took my little from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America out to dinner last night and for dessert we tried out Bananarchy. She cracks me up because I try to take her to new places all the time, much to her chagrin, but after she tries these new places she declares the most recent as her most absolute favorite and we MUST come back EVERY TIME we eat. Such is the case with Bananarchy. It’s her new favorite and we MUST come back EVERY TIME. I told her as I always do, we’ll come back but not every time! We got the world to eat.

Bananarchy is a trailer dessert eatery that specializes in one thing. Frozen bananas. You have your choice of dippings and they have vegan chocolate available which I find very sweet (literally and figuratively!) and accommodating and a slew of traditional dessert toppings. I took the liberty of listing them all out for you.

Dippings Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Vegan Chocolate

Toppings Nuts Oreos Grahams M&Ms Reese’s Cookies Coconut Toffee Sprinkle Granola Cinnamon Coffee

My little sitting pretty, waiting patiently for our bananas.

The banana guy will make your banana in front of you. He’ll unwrap a frozen banana and then dip, and then twirl. You’ll see if you go.

You can buy halfsies (we both got halfsies which was more than enough after our big dinner) for $2.75 or wholesies for $3.75. Yeah, yeah, we know you can buy a banana at 44 cents a pound but do you wanna go do this yourself? I was looking at their website before going and they actually have a direct answer regarding if this is too steep to pay for a frozen banana: they got rent to make! While we’re discussing money, I’ll also remind you as will the window pictured below, they’re a cash only business.

Informative window

Little and I both got Oreos as our toppings. She dipped hers in vanilla and I got chocolate. We both want to try peanut butter next time.

Vanilla dipped and topped with crushed Oreos

Chocolate dipped and topped with crushed Oreos

I thought it was a wise idea to not take pictures of ourselves eating these bananas. Don’t want to set ourselves up for obvious jokes. I suggest you don’t let your friends take pictures of you eating these either. They taste just as you expect them to, delicious. The bananas are really frozen so if you have sensitive teeth, maybe wait a little bit before biting into them. It was good enough for me to want to come back and try more variations. Also inspires me to one day make my own banana pops.

Little’s Self Portrait

My little turned the camera on herself. We had a discussion about Myspace and Facebook in the car ride over. I hope she’s not practicing her self portraits for Myspace. (I also vehemently advised her never to get a tattoo of her boyfriend’s name.) Girl’s crazy!

P.S. Always remember that bananas have rights.

Oi, I’m at least three restaurants behind in my posts. It takes a while for me to download, resize, and upload the photos. I just finished resizing 19 photos from Indika, an Indian restaurant in Houston. I haven’t started on the post yet but thought I’d give you a couple of sneak peeks.

My favorite photo/plate from this meal

Lastly, a photo of my date who introduced me to Indika.

Thanks, Cindy!

4014 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77027

(713) 871-9929
www.sprinkles.com

The renowned Sprinkles that hailed from Los Angeles, has graced Texas with their presence by opening up a location in Dallas and another in Houston. This cupcakery has taken the nation by storm it seems. Here’s a link off of their webpage of their buzz in the press. This past trip to Houston was my first trip to Houston since Sprinkles opened (June 21, 2010). I hadn’t made hard plans to visit, but Miss Kim and I were on our way to lunch at Hugo’s when Kim, who hadn’t had the chance to try Sprinkles, noticed that there was no line. Apparently, lines outside the door of Sprinkles are not uncommon. As soon as it dawned on her that holy crap there is no line at Sprinkles, she made a hard left turn, dodged oncoming traffic, and thus it was decided. We were having cupcakes as appetizer to our lunch date.

We ordered two, which is better than that one time we tried Houston’s other acclaimed cupcakery, Crave, where we ordered 4 between the two of us. We ordered the Chocolate Peanut Butter and the Cinnamon Sugar (Later that night, I tried the Vegan Red Velvet as well). In comparison to my sampling of Crave, Sprinkles wins. I was impressed by Crave’s marketing and presentation, but Sprinkles beats out Crave on that front too as it’s been around much longer, making Crave seem like a paler contender.

In terms of flavor and cupcake texture. Sprinkles wins again. I remember thinking Crave’s cake flavor was a little underwhelming. The yellow cake flavoring of the Chocolate Peanut Butter (yellow cake, with chocolate chips, and peanut butter icing) was moist and sweet, the chips hit the spot, and the peanut butter icing not over the top sweet. I gobbled it right up. The cinnamon sugar cupcake was especially perfect for us since we WERE about to have lunch. Ha! So the lack of icing and a fairy dusting of sugar made it a lighter appetizer for us.

As parenthetically mentioned, later that night I had a bite of the Vegan Red Velvet cupcake which is a sweet accommodation for vegans. I honestly do not know what I think of vegan cupcakes. It did not taste like the Red Velvet I’m used to but it wasn’t bad! It did not suck.

Edit: We overheard the conversation about cupcakes by the Sprinkles employees and it had us cracking up. They were brainstorming new Texan flavors such as brisket cupcakes, chili cupcakes, flan cupcakes (ooh!), and cornbread cupcakes.